Tell us about your practice and how you came to making?

I have always made things as long as I can remember. I would make outfits for barbies, colored in coloring books, make collages etc, Michaels was my favorite store as a kid. Taking art classes in school allowed me to believe that I could have a career as a professional creative so I went to college for textiles and fashion design and in art school is where I learned how to think of myself as an artist. I started working in corporate fashion in New York and soon realized I was not the corporate ladder climbing type and actually making my own art was where I was truly the happiest. 

You talked a little bit about your background in fashion, what allowed you to make the transition between fashion and fine art? 

It was not easy for me to make the transition from design to art, it  took about a decade to finally find my aesthetic voice in ceramics and in 2D painting works. Fashion design is so trend focused and I got really good at designing into each new trend and mimicking certain styles. I feel like I had to rewire my brain to follow my own voice and not be so influenced by what was popular and trending at the moment. I think moving to North Carolina and getting out of the fashion industry and out of New York allowed me some breathing room to clear my head and really make what felt true and unique to myself.

Do you have a ritual when it comes to making/designing work?

I work 4 days a week so I don’t have a steady schedule, however on the days I am not working I like to wake up, make coffee, turn on the radio and head straight into the studio. The earlier I can start the better. I also found out through the years that I need my studio space to be at my home. I like the convenience and since I have a day job it's just easier that way.

These works have a really strong calling to quilting and pattern making. Has that been an inspiration in creating this series?

Quilting is definitely an inspiration for these works and for most of what I have been making in the past year and a half. The way I go about creating 2D work is very collage-like, and quilting as a craft technique lends itself to this way of making. I enjoy playing around with the different shapes of traditional quilt blocks, changing them to be more abstract or random.

We know you use scraps and remnants of fabrics in these paintings. How do you collect these scraps and how do you start to pair them to make these works?

I have been collecting fabric for years ever since college. I cannot throw away a good textile! I prefer to collect fabrics made of natural fibers but also there are some good synthetics out there as well, but since I like to dye and paint onto the surface, natural fibers are a bit better for this. There is a great remnant fabric source in NYC called FabScrap, I also go to the Goodwill Bins and find clothes, sheets, linens etc and cut them up. The Habitat for Humanity Re-Stores in my area always tend to have upholstery yardage for $5 a roll and Estate sales are the best because you can literally buy tons of old table clothes and sheets for nothing. When I look for fabric I always look for quality and texture. Recently I have been buying a lot of wool felt because I like the matte-ness of the material. I piece them together based on color and if I don’t have a fabric that fits I will simply dye and old table cloth or muslin to match what I am looking for. 

The florals in your still lives feel both geometrically flat and yet rich from pattern. How do you think these two things juxtapose in your mind while you're creating?

For me I don’t see them as a juxtaposition. I spent years drawing graphic florals for fashion companies and then putting them into repeat to make them cohesive and I guess these are the flowers that naturally come out of my head! I make them out of fabric and there are limitations on the shape they can be once they are sewn  or appliqued. So working in those limitations as well also dictates the shape they will be.

What's next for you?

For the past few months I have been slowly renovating my home so I expect I will continue with home projects for a while. Once I finish setting up my studio I will keep working on these flower still life paintings. I feel like I am just getting started with these and I have so many more ideas in my head that I need to get out.